It seems that some bands were born to tread the boards, and no more so than the UK’s very own Thunder. Formed in London in 1989, their meteoritic rise was all the more impressive being in an age when the media was more occupied with grunge and alt-rock as opposed to Thunder’s brand of blues based hard rock. They built a fanbase through sheer hard work and rarely turned down the opportunity to perform. It was an ethos that rendered the band a well-oiled machine and by the time they recorded their second live album in 1997 (the snappily-titled Live) they were at the peak of their powers. Released early 1998, Live now gets its first vinyl and digital releases, in addition to compact disc, to prove that Thunder does indeed strike twice.
Culled from 1997 shows at Wolverhampton’s Wulfrun Halls and London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire, these gigs were performed with new bassist Chris Childs in the fold and the energy with which opening salvo ‘Welcome To The Party’ bursts from the speakers suggests that he was something of a rejuvenator to give the band a vitamin shot. There was always a celebratory feel to the Thunder live experience and that makes ‘Welcome To The Party’ a particularly apt opener. Theirs is a place where you leave your troubles at the door and forget your woes for a couple of hours (perhaps the greatest gift music can give) and that’s exactly the vibe which this set dishes out. Of course, Thunder could be cerebral too (such as on ‘Low Life In High Places’ and ‘Until My Dying Day’) and these moments help the discs ebb and flow like an actual gig…and that a major selling point of Live. While single set live albums can often feel oddly unsatisfying (with, perhaps, the exception of Motörhead’s No Sleep At All), the extended running time of Live replicates that of an actual live concert. Subsequently, we get everything that makes a gig so enticing and exciting; the solos, the crowd participation and, of course, Danny Bowes’ stage raps, all of which means that Live pumps the authentic Thunder experience through your speakers.
The track list reads like a “greatest hits” collection, only with the added oomph of being played live. As you’d expect, ‘Backstreet Symphony’ goes down a storm, whilst ‘I’ll Be Waiting’ and ‘Like A Satellite’ provide those lighters-in-the-air moments that fills the venue with warm, candle flame hue. In addition we get some choice covers (another integral part of the Thunder show), the band putting their own stamp on the Spencer Davis Group’s ‘Gimme Some Lovin’’ and The Small Faces’ ‘Lazy Sunday Afternoon’, all of which makes Live the genuine Thunder live document.
Released in various configurations (including limited 3xCD and 4xLP bonus track editions) fans will be spoilt for choice here, but no matter what variant you plump for, there’s no better way to celebrate the power of Thunder than with Live.
- Live is released via earMusic on 16th January 2026 (available here).
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CD Track List:
CD One:
- Welcome To The Party
- Higher Ground
- Don’t Wait Up
- Low Life In High Places
- Gimme Some Lovin’
- Empty City
- Until My Dying Day
- A Better Man
- Does It Feel Like Love?
- Dance To The Music
- She’s So Fine
CD Two:
- Backstreet Symphony
- An Englishman On Holiday
- I’ll Be Waiting
- Laughing On Judgement Day
- Like A Satellite
- Moth To The Flame
- Living For Today
- The Only One
- Love Walked In
- River Of Pain
- Dirty Love
